ROOTS OF EMPATHY PROGRAMME
This year our primary 7 children have been invited to participate in a programme called Roots of Empathy (ROE). This programme teaches children about feelings, their own feelings, and the feelings of others. Once every three weeks, baby Mabel and her parent(s) will visit the classroom. A trained ROE Instructor, Mrs Allison Anderson, will encourage the children to watch and note the various aspects of the baby’s development.
Mrs Anderson will coach the children in observing the baby and reading the cues the baby gives as to how the baby is feeling: “Is the baby happy or sad?” “How can you tell?” We will then use this discussion as a lever for the children to talk about their own emotions and to understand how their classmates feel: “Do you smile when you’re happy?” “How can you tell if your friend is happy?” Being able to understand how other people are feeling is called empathy. The ROE Instructor also visits the classroom before and after each Family Visit to prepare and reinforce teachings using a specialised lesson plan for each visit.
We’re excited that we’ve been chosen to participate in Roots of Empathy, and we hope you are, too. If you have any questions or would like more information please let us know.
** Please return the permission slip for the use of photographic images to school byWednesday 26th September.